Wednesday 26 September 2012

Unknown gunmen storm UniJos Campus, shot some students



Opeyemi Adesina

Reports filtering i̶̲̥̅̊n̶̲̥̅̊ from Plateau State say that unknown gunmen this evening stormed the University of Jos and shot several students, leaving at least two female students dead.

Although details are sketchy, our sources say that several others escaped with injuries.

 A source told Sahara Reporters there is tension on the campus as hundreds of students were seen running for their lives, unwilling to wait for an explanation as to what had led to the shootings.

The source said that armed security personnel have already been dispatched to the university, but the identity of the attackers and their motives are still unknown.

As of the time of this report, neither the Plateau State Police Command, nor the Special Task Force nor the management of the university has issued a statement concerning the attack.    


Lagos PDP tasks Fashola on ACN's forces


Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State People Democratic Party (PDP) has advised Governor Babatunde Fashola to admit failure in governance and do the needful by confessing to lagosians the actual Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) forces and pressures that have made governance difficult for him so much so that virtually all sectors of the Government has embarked on protracted Strikes in the 5 years Old of his Administration.

This spiritual advise should be heeded within 14 days to avoid the imminent insurrection against his administration.

The advise is coming on the heels of the ongoing teacher's strike which has now paralysed Secondary and Primary schools education in the State.

A statement made available to our Lagos Correspondent and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Barr. Taofik Gani, on behalf of the state chairman, Tunji Shelle, the party opines that the situation now is very unimaginable and demands that Governor Fashola should speak out on his constraints in Government.

"Honestly, the situation in Lagos State baffles us. The State has no excuse to neglect the Teachers. The demand of the Teachers for 27.5% salary increment is modest especially as atleast Seventeen other States in the Country have been paying same.

The party posited that Lagos State is so wealthy but the ACN led government is not prudent, proactive and conversant with the immediate needs of the people, thus squandering the state's resources on white elephant projects that do not have any direct impact on the people. A state that has collected over 17Trillion Naira from the Federal Government; realises atleast 48Billion Naira monthly as IGR should be solvent enough to pay its workers" The party holds that the education sector in the State has collapsed. " Our schools system has collapsed. It is either the tertiary institution is too expensive to access or the junior schools are shut.

The party added that: "This calls for concern and the ACN must admit this failure. We counsel thus: That the SURE-P allocation to the State be immediately deployed to pay the Teachers and also subsidise the LASU school fees; That the Government must stop wastage like the distracting Eko Atlantic City Project; That the Government must stop extortionate tax system in order to motivate cooperate bodies resume their supports to public schools; That the Government should give scholarship to at least two children of teachers in the State.

The Party has however appealed to the striking teachers to be keen on amicable settlement in the interest of the innocent teenage Students.

ACN describes Jonathan’s govt as training ground

Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has criticised President Goodluck Jonathan over what it described as failure of a timely and robust response to the recent catalogue of woes and national calamities.

 In a statement, yesterday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party wondered how else the administration’s lack of capacity to be proactive could be described. 

ACN said: “The continued bungling of the Boko Haram insurgency, which is harvesting more deaths almost on a daily basis, the unstoppable carnage on our roads, the executive somersaults of the administration on policy issues and, in general, the slow, unfocused and uncertain responses of government to issues depict a government on internship.

 “The closure of the Lokoja-Abuja highway, which had cut off Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, due to flooding of roads and bridges along the Abuja-Lokoja highway, signposts the extent of our decayed national infrastructure and exposes the incapable hands entrusted to salvage them.

” On the President’s reaction to the flood disaster, the party said: “However, even worse is the fact that the President has not deemed it fit to comment on this disaster, neither has there been any visit by a federal minister or any co-coordinated response to the disaster from the central government.”

Nigeria remains undeterred, unflinching in protecting its citizens, says Jonathan




President Goodluck Jonathan has assured delegates at the United Nation that Nigeria remains undeterred and unflinching in its resolve to protect its citizenry and other persons living within its borders.

Addressing the 67th UN General Assembly’s General Debate on Tuesday in New York, he said Nigeria would also extend such protection to other countries within its region.

“ We know that no country has unilaterally defeated the dark forces of violence and terrorism. This is evidently an endeavour that requires international collaboration.

“We therefore call upon the international community and all like-minded stakeholders to address this matter with all the seriousness that it deserves,’’ Jonathan said.

He pointed at Nigeria’s long-standing commitment to the promotion of issues of particular concern to Africa, saying this has been widely acknowledged.

President Jonathan said Nigeria had stood firm and played critical roles in all the recent developments in Africa.

He said this included the struggle for independence and self-determination, the fight against apartheid, colonialism and discrimination.

“Today, we are in the vanguard of the fight against extremism, terrorism and all forms of mindless violence,’’ Jonathan said.

He explained that sustainable development and progress were two ultimate aspirations of any nation which could not be achieved without peace and security.

Jonathan however said that Nigeria, being guided by this realisation, had committed and should continue to commit herself to the attainment of regional and international peace and security. ?

Sunday 23 September 2012

PDP carpets Fashola over 'Waste to Food' holiday programme






Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State People Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) led Lagos State Government (LASG) for organising a "waste to food" holiday programme which encouraged teens to scavenge for plastic bottles in return for "food".

The Party submits that such programme in this State and at this time is barbaric, exploitative and extortionate.

A statement made available to newsmen and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Barr. Taofik Gani, the party said: "The act of involving Teens in the project exposes that the ACN is indeed a bourgeoisie and eccentric party where its governor can on one hand preach Social Services and the elimination of child labour, but actually encouraging the opposite by cajoling Teens into Labour. Teens were cajoled to gather plastic bottles of 5Kg in return for meal ticket!

The ACN is bereft of ideas. We have repeatedly said this.

“LAWMA is the Agency responsible for carting away waste in the state. The eateries, pure water factories and other waste producing factories pay LAWMA and LASG for the Service. The Lagos State Government presently realises over #48B monthly. The state is so buoyant and ought to exempt teens from the project.  As a matter of fact the state government ought to be organising free holiday coaching for the Teens and even pay them allowances to encourage them. A PDP Government in Lagos State will sponsor every holiday so much that no family would travel out of the State on holiday. Youths and Teens shall be given their rightful honours and not cajoled into embarrassing and degrading holiday job"

The party opines that the ACN led LASG should be ashamed to pride that teens participated in the project because it actually confirms abject poverty in the State inspite of the monumental revenues of the state.

“Consequently, the Party is demanding public apology from ACN led LASG for abusing the teens and contravening the Child Rights Law.

In a related development, the Lagos State PDP is calling for the immediate relocation of the Olusosun dumpsite at Ojota as the stench oozing out from the site may cause epidemic soon. "Such dumpsite should not be located within the City, Alas! Near the Governor's Office. We believe retaining the dumpsite there means there is a business interest being protected over and above the health of Lagosians," the party added.

Saturday 22 September 2012

Dele Momodu: The bully called Sanusi







Sanusi appears to be a poor student of Nigerian history; otherwise, he would have known that whenever Nigerians are hailing the disciplinarian father of a recalcitrant child, the same people always turn around to ask if he wants to kill his own baby.

Fellow Nigerians, please permit me to borrow the cliché that “whatever has a beginning must have an end.” This is the only way I can describe what seems to be an end to Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi’s reign of recklessness and authoritarianism at the Central Bank of Nigeria. Even if he remains in office till 2014 when his tenure mandatorily expires, he has already waltzed his way into a cul-de-sac. The reason is very simple. Sanusi appears to be a poor student of Nigerian history; otherwise, he would have known that whenever Nigerians are hailing the disciplinarian father of a recalcitrant child, the same people always turn around to ask if he wants to kill his own baby. The attention span of an average Nigerian is short and limited. Nigerians are a people perpetually in search of new heroes. We are a people so confused about what we want, whether democracy or militocracy. Many years of debilitating military interventions and interregnum have turned us into victims of acute psychological impairment.
That must be the reason many of us often deify those we believe can help us punish, or even kill, our enemies. But our romance with kill-and-go administrations is always short-lived. A good example was when the Shehu Shagari government was terminated in 1983 by Mohammadu Buhari and Babatunde Idiagbon, Nigerians spilled into the streets like locusts to celebrate their victory over a most profligate ruling party known then as the National Party of Nigeria. Many prominent members of NPN were hounded into prison, house arrest and exile. Jubilant Nigerians even saw nothing wrong with the despicable attempt to crate Alhaji Umaru Dikko alive and the abortive “mission impossible” to smuggle him back to Nigeria. We tend to love and promote selective justice and injustice. We support whichever is more convenient at any particular time.
You must give it to him, Sanusi  is a princely and charming man. He’s the type that most ladies would see and curtsey. He loves attention and attracts it almost effortlessly. He would have done so well as a Nollywood actor or a music superstar.
The same Nigerians flooded the streets when the man with the toothy smile, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida did his own coup and sent Buhari and Idiagbon into premature retirement. Yet Babangida did the exact opposite of what Buhari did by giving a human face to dictatorship and inviting prominent Nigerians to serve in his government. He garnished his solid team with a few social critics and freed the Buhari captives from arbitrary incarceration. Babangida did not end it there, he forced open the dreaded cells of the then National Security Organisation where political detainees were tied down and lived like animals. Sympathetic Nigerians thanked the new benevolent ruler and embraced him warts and all. Buhari and Idiagbon simply melted into oblivion.
Sooner than later, Babangada started his transition games and started dribbling Nigerians with the dexterity and foxiness of the legendary Maradona and his infamous ‘hand of God’. He shifted the goal posts several times while the game was on. He even transfigured, without the benefit of elections or any referendum, into a civilian President and held the whole nation spellbound. He banned and unbanned potential candidates at will in a classic case of chess whilst keeping a straight poker face all the time. Nigerians watched in utter amazement, helplessness and befuddlement as someone played them like Ping-Pong.  Meanwhile, it was alleged that under Babangida, corruption stank to high heavens. The chief critic at the time was General Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Aremu Obasanjo who called IBB all manner of unprintable names.
To cut a bad story short, an election was conducted on June 12, 1993, and the presidency was won by Chief Moshood Abiola but was annulled by General Babangida for reasons yet to be disclosed till this day. In the middle of this higgledy-piggledy, a contraption called the Interim National Government was hurriedly packaged and Chief Ernest ‘Degunle Shonekan was made its Head. That government lasted only a few months when the maximum ruler with dark goggles, General Sani Abacha arrived on the scene and sacked the ING with automatic alacrity, and everyone scampered into safety without as much as a whimper.
Sanusi had managed to capitalise on the kill-and-go mentality of most Nigerians to win sympathy for his dangerous annihilation of his enemies without caring for the stray bullets that may hit innocent bystanders. In other to catch a few rats, Sanusi chose to set fire to the whole village.
If IBB loved to smile like a beautiful bride, Abacha was the exact opposite as a gloomy groom. His mien was something else and everyone feared him with utter trepidation. He took over the liability of June 12 and appropriated the mandate to himself. Those who challenged him soon found their ways into prisons or on the road to Golgotha. Two of Nigeria’s most powerful army Generals of all times, General Obasanjo and Major General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua who tried to monkey with Abacha were both roasted like chicken in Abacha’s gulag. While Obasanjo was lucky to stay alive and live to tell the tale, Yar’Adua was very unfortunate, as he died in prison and was silenced forever. The winner of the election MKO Abiola and his wife Kudirat died under different circumstances. Other pro-democracy activists suffered various collateral damages, including death.
Is it not strange that the powers-that-be in their wisdom sooner than later thought it fit to invite General Obasanjo to take over the mandate that should have been that of Abiola? The man who made it all happen was Babangida who had been publicly scandalised many times by the same Obasanjo. It is also interesting that Obasanjo would later block the same Babangida who helped him back to power when the man wanted to stage a comeback. The drama also became a theatre of the absurd when General Mohammed Buhari also came back on the scene after quitting power since 1985. He’s been contesting permanently since 2003 and he’s yet to give up. The same Nigerians who called him the wicked tyrant are the same people saying he’s the best man for the task of changing Nigeria for the better no matter how old and weak he may have become since leaving power 27 years ago.
This is my summary of Nigeria’s history that Sanusi failed to read or possibly chose to ignore. A good student of Nigerian history would always try to check when the market is over and the traders must close shop and go home. Sanusi did not understand this and behaved as if he was the de facto President of Nigerian. He had cashed in on the weakness of the Jonathan administration to run his own parallel government and haul insults at anyone who dared to challenge him. He neither spared the executive nor the legislative arms of government. He went meandering from one controversial policy to the other and bullied everyone into submission. If he didn’t know other things, he understood the magnitude of our docility and took full advantage of it. It was always obvious to discerning minds that Sanusi is a man of tall ambitions who was willing to do anything to achieve his aims and goals. He spent money on outlandish projects and anything that caught his fancy and ran a personal fiefdom.
I must confess that when Mallam Sanusi started his highly-controversial tenure at CBN, on June 4, 2009, I saw through the smokescreen of his vengeful mission very early in the day, and warned many of those jumping up like frogs thinking a Messiah had finally landed on our shores to take caution. While acknowledging his academic brilliance, I was duly worried about his unbridled radicalism. He did everything in the extreme and lacked the tolerance to persuade others. In the process, he stepped on too many toes and acted like he was beyond control. He fought for total autonomy for the CBN and campaigned vociferously against any form of audit by anyone of his actions as CBN Governor. He thus became a loose cannon and a sword of Damocles against his foes. His word was law as everyone feared his tempestuous outbursts.
I must confess that when Mallam Sanusi started his highly-controversial tenure at CBN, on June 4, 2009, I saw through the smokescreen of his vengeful mission very early in the day, and warned many of those jumping up like frogs thinking a Messiah had finally landed on our shores to take caution.
You must give it to him, Sanusi  is a princely and charming man. He’s the type that most ladies would see and curtsey. He loves attention and attracts it almost effortlessly. He would have done so well as a Nollywood actor or a music superstar. It is strange how a man of such sartorial tastes ended up in banking and not showbiz. The profession he chose was traditionally reserved for taciturn and conservative characters and not for vainglorious and adventurous rabble-rousers. His major weakness was his sharp tongue. He could almost raise the dead with it.
Sanusi had managed to capitalise on the kill-and-go mentality of most Nigerians to win sympathy for his dangerous annihilation of his enemies without caring for the stray bullets that may hit innocent bystanders. In other to catch a few rats, Sanusi chose to set fire to the whole village. He needed to disguise his real intentions and motives by taking on an entire institution and sacking otherwise brilliant bankers in the process. Some innocent people had their eventful careers terminated by a rampaging bull that was goaded on by a neurotic society and a vindictive population. It was so tragic that the warnings of a few of us fell on the deaf ears of those who were more interested in the extra-judicial crucifixion of those perceived as rogue bankers. Nigerians allowed themselves to be mesmerised and hypnotised and hoodwinked by a quintessential bully in search of victims to devour.
Sanusi’s eloquence and debonair presence made it possible for many of his unwary admirers to get carried away by his sophistry. But they didn’t need to look too far to realise that his combative approach would soon go up in smoke like others before him. Perhaps, he would have fared better as a military dictator than as a sanitary inspector in the cesspool of banking mess. The game he played was too hot to handle and for too long. He should have known that one way or the other anyway, the chicken must come home to roost. And bullies always have their terminal dates.  This is because, according to Wikipedia, “a bully is a constant harasser of the weak.” A bully argues his victims into submission through intimidation and name calling.
Wikipedia explains further that a bully is usually arrogant and narcissistic and by bullying others, he feels empowered. He suffers from “personality disorders, quickness to anger, use of force, addiction to aggressive behaviours, engaging in obsessive or rigid actions…well-planned and orchestrated attempts at character-assassination…” It explains that a bully cannot exist or thrive without the active connivance “of a large group of relatively uninvolved bystanders.” It is the ability of the bully to create the illusion of a support base from the majority that propels him to instil the fear of God into people and prevent them from speaking out against him. This is palpable in Sanusi’s case as no member of the economic team or the Institute of Bankers could openly speak up against the excesses of this man. Even our President appeared to have been clearly subdued; the reason he quickly assented to a foolish experiment. Bullies exert and expand their power when they see the unwillingness of anyone to challenging or taking them on because they depend largely on mob action.
Wikipedia puts it succinctly: “When the bully encounters no negative response from observers, it provides social approval for the bullying and encourages continuation of the behaviour.” Most people ignore bullies because they are not in any present danger themselves, or may feel that there’s no point becoming the next victim, so better to keep mute. But there is never a guarantee that anyone can escape the bully, as General Obasanjo must have discovered when Sanusi referred to him as “a poor economist.”
I believe three things ended Sanusi’s regime of fear. The first is that he did not gauge the mood of his ubiquitous mob who did not subscribe to his N5,000 note misadventure. If he read their lips, he would have known he was on his own and would have avoided the risk of dancing naked in the market place. And the second was his attempt to stylishly rubbish a former President and Commander-in-Chief, Olusegun Obasanjo. No matter the degree of the seeming cold war between Obasanjo and his estranged godson, President Goodluck Jonathan, no one would allow Sanusi get away with such sauciness while he’s still a public servant.
The last straw is the rumour of Sanusi’s Presidential ambition which he has since denied. But denial or not, the Jonathan crew would never close their two eyes again where Sanusi is concerned, and he has become a potential enemy and a marked man whose wings must be clipped.
He should have realised that a child who buys a pair of shoes for his limping father must be ready to listen to the dark tales of his lineage.
By his own feathers, Sanusi is now smitten! That is how the cookies always crumble.



Ooni to Kalu: Don’t begrudge those attacking you





Opeyemi Adesina


The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade II, has appealed to former Abia State Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, not to take offence against anyone attacking him now.

Sijuwade said rather than revenge, Kalu should continue to pray for his place of birth, Igbere in Abia State; his state, Abia; and Nigeria in general.

The foremost traditional ruler, according to a statement on Saturday by Kalu’s Special Adviser, Media, Emeka Obasi, spoke when Kalu visited him on Wednesday in his palace in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Sijuwade, who described Kalu as one of the few leaders that have contributed to the progress of the country, told the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Progressive Peoples Alliance: |You are one of the few leaders who has contributed so well to the progress of the country. 

“I can never forget you as a person.

“This country can never forget you.

“Your present predicament is for you to learn.

“God will not leave you and your family.

“You just leave everything to God.

“Don’t be annoyed with anybody. 

“Leave everything to God. 

“Pray to God for the whole nation. 

“Your name is greater than what you think. 

“You worked so hard in life to make money to help people. 

“I have told you and I am saying it again: Don't be annoyed with anybody but continue your prayers to God. 

“Anywhere you go, success will be yours by the special grace of God.”

Sijuwade also informed Kalu that a committee of traditional rules, of which he is one, is working assiduously to ensure harmonious existence in the country.

Sijuwade, who listed the Emir of Kano and Obi of Onitsha as the two other traditional rulers involved in the initiative, said he believes with their intervention, religious and political harmony will return to the country.

He said: “We are a committee of three traditional rulers out to make all Nigerians happy. 

“We are moving as one entity to show good examples to Nigerians.”

He then further advised Kalu not to abandon Nigeria because of the unwarranted attack on his person, adding: “Don't forget Nigeria. 

“Don't leave Nigeria.”

Kalu had earlier told the highly revered monarch that traditional rulers should bring their authority to bear on the security situation in the country.

He said it had become worrisome that religion had become a source of division in the country.

Kalu, who canvassed constitutional riles for eminent traditional rulers, prayed to God to grant the Ooni long life in good health.

OPINION: WHOSE TURN TO LEAD? – by Mark Amaza





Three years away from the next general elections, political alignments and calculations have already begun in earnest. In the past few weeks, one governor is rumoured to have declared for the presidency while two more have been endorsed by a former president as the ‘ideal team’ of President and Vice President for 2015. This is besides the fact that there are speculations that President Goodluck Jonathan will run for a second term.

Sadly, the declarations of desiring to have the number one job in this country is being followed by the same old talk of power rotation and whose turn it will be to lead. The potential candidates from the North are clamouring for power shift. When President Jonathan formally declares, we can expect to see his promoters saying that the Niger-Delta deserves 8 years, especially as the ‘geese that lays the golden egg’.
This is all too reminiscent of the 2011 General Elections, where of all the abundant issues that confront Nigerians on a daily basis, zoning and power rotation were the most crucial issues to the election. It is amazing how Nigerian politicians can tap into the sentiments of religion, ethnicity and regions to make us forget the more crucial issues of life that we deal with, such as poverty, insecurity and lack of infrastructure.
So what type of leader do we as Nigerians desire in 2015?
We want to see a man or woman who shall rise to the mantle and inspire us with his words and actions; a man who shall not just tell us what is sweet to our ears, but also what the hard and bitter truth is; someone who shall seek to win the hearts and souls of the electorate.
We need a candidate who shall seek to unite us as Nigerians of different ethnic backgrounds and religious persuasions; contrary to what politicians tell us about our differences, we are more alike than we think. We are Nigerians; though we might be from 400-plus different ethnic groups and come from places as unalike as the desert in the North East is from the creeks of the Niger Delta, a common Nigerian heritage unites us. We desire someone whose campaign shall emphasize our similarities, so that Nigerians can come to see in him or her the meaning of being united in diversity.
We are searching for a man who shall earn the seat of the President by articulating a vision for the country, and specify the actions he shall take to actualise that vision. We are sick and tired of candidates playing the regional/religious/ethnic card to win elections. Nigerians are not as petty as these politicians think. We all celebrate performers, whether or not they are ‘our people’. We need someone who will give us a good name to live up to – a country of different faiths and ethnicities, united under God. Let our nationhood be strengthened by his/her campaign, and not made weak every passing election.
I was conversing with a friend recently, and I mentioned that the population of blacks in the United States was merely 13%. His expression was that of shock. He then asked me, ‘how then did Barack Obama become president?’ To his Nigerian mind, how can you win an election when your race/faith/ethnic group is outnumbered? It is sad that this is what our politicians have led us to believe, as they always emphasize our differences in order to benefit their political aims. This is definitely not what we need in the years approaching the next elections.
Lastly, we need a man who shall be humble in victory and magnanimous in defeat. We need a man who shall be honest enough to admit he lost an election, and not seek to overheat the polity by alleging rigging if there was none. We need a man who shall genuinely respect his opponents in the heat of campaigning, and not seek to denigrate his person in order to get ahead.
This is the type of leader we need. Not one of a particular religious faith, ethnic group or part of the country. Rather, we need a leader whom all Nigerians can look up to with admiration and respect, even those who had not voted for him.




Thursday 20 September 2012

Breaking News: At last, FG surrender to pressure over introduction of N5,000 notes


Opeyemi Adesina

Following the outcry from Nigerians over the planned introduction of the N5,000 notes, the federal government has confirmed it is  stepping down the introduction of the  note by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Dr Reuben Abati who confirmed this  in Abuja  said the move is to allow more enlightenment by the central bank of Nigeria.




Sack LASTMA General Manager now, Lagos PDP tells Fashola



Opeyemi Adesina

The Lagos State People Democratic Party (PDP) has demanded the immediate disbandment and or sack of the General Manager, LASTMA, as a result of the increasing misconduct of the Traffic Officers, some of which led to death of innocent persons.

It would be recalled that some officials of LASTMA had attacked a bus Driver on Tuesday beating him to death.

A statement made available to our Lagos Correspondent and signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Barr Taofik Gani, on behalf of the party Chairman, Tunji Shelle, said: "We demand the disbandment and or sack of the LASTMA general Manager. The outfit is obviously not fit and proper to manage traffic.

"We reiterate that LASTMA, as presently constituted is political and has revenue target thus cannot discharge the responsibility of traffic Management without being unprofessional and theirby causing avoidable accidents. They indeed have financial targets to meet.

"LASTMA is for revenue and not sincerely to manage Traffic in the State. It is a creation of the aggressive revenue drive of the ACN State Government prompted by the continuous retainership of ALPHA BETA, the Tax Consultant firm believed to be owned by the National leader of ACN and immediate past Governor of Lagos State.

The party added: " Imagine the number of deaths recorded from the professional misconduct of LASTMA officers. There are also records of illegal arrests of motorists. We all remember the case of Yinka Johnson wrongfully accused of knocking down a LASTMA officer. It turned out that the actual offender was left off the hook in order to hold on to Yinka Johnson, a Banker.

"Imagine how many motorists must have suffered similar accusations and prosecutions. The General Manager is no doubt vicariously responsible for all the atrocities of his men and should be sacked immediately"

In the same vein, the party has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) through the state Commissioner of Police to withdraw the Police Officers presently in the Team of LASTMA and KAI because these Agencies have indeed deviated from the expected duties they should perform.

"Recently, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos division, declared as ultra Vires the Power of LASTMA to arrest and fine motorists yet LASTMA flagrantly disobeys this CaseLaw. The continuous stay of the Police officers in these organisations is consequently aiding and abetting constitutional violations of citizens Rights and thus confirming that Lagos State already has "STATE POLICE," the party added.

Wednesday 19 September 2012

Atlantic Ocean Surge: Kuramo Beach evictees pour into the streets




No fewer than 200 evicted inhabitants of the Kuramo Beach have stormed the streets, saying they have nowhere to go after they were abruptly ordered out the shore where they had resided and engaged in petty trading.

The ejected inhabitants said they started residing on the shoreline in 1999 when Nigeria hosted the All African Games, an event which opened the opportunity for them to sell various commodities to visiting foreigners at a profit. They maintained that they had since then continued to inhabit the place and done their petty businesses for survival and residence.
Thirteen years after, however, a fatal surge of the Atlantic Ocean brought their abode and business-for-survival center to the limelight and led to their ejection.

The commercial residents of the Kuramo beach, which lies side-by-side with the Bar beach, were ejected from the coastline by the Lagos State Government following the recent fatal surge of the Atlantic Ocean which claimed more than 16 lives after a high magnitude tidal wave of the Bar Beach flowed over its borderline, forcing down its boundary with the Kuramo Beach and destroying several properties. The ejected inhabitants however said they are now pouring into the streets, with nowhere to go.

Abbey Edwards was the secretary to the Security Unit watching over the Kuramo beach before the unexpected ocean surge which led to their unexpected ejection. Abbey, a graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, said it was a huge shock to him that the State Government visited the beach after the surge and sent the inhabitants packing when he had expected the State Government to sympathize with them and offered help to the affected inhabitants.

Abbey said the ejected inhabitants consisted of people who had no homes, those out of school without jobs, those without parents and who cannot afford school fees, displaced people and youths struggling for survival with petty businesses. He stressed that they had organized themselves and made the place both a commercial place and a home.

"I'm so shocked that the State Government can do this to us. The Local Government Chairman knows us very well and he often comes here to relate with us as a father", he said.

The former Secretary to the Security unit on the beach said they had at various times done jobs for the police by rounding up criminals at the beach and handing them over to the police.

"They also used us to mobilize people for votes in the last elections and we did greatly for them even at serious risks to our lives. We played a very significant role in the entire Eti-Osa area to make sure they won election but it is now that they can call us nuisance", complained Abbey.

Another evictee suggested that the multi-million dollars Eko Atlantic project on the ocean front was to complement the business interest of the Eko Hotel
.
"They just feel that our being here is not befitting enough for the rich people they are bringing to their Eko Atlantic City under construction and they had been looking for excuses to send us out of this place before the ocean surge. They want to sand-fill the place where we have been removed so that they can protect their business at the Eko Hotel", he alleged.

Recounting their stay at the Kuramo beach, Abbey lamented that the dearth of jobs in the city had caused him and others ejected alongside to resort to petty commercial activities on the coastline.

"Now that they have thrown us out of this place without caring about our livelihood after removing us from here, what do they expect us to do next?"
Abbey said some of their achievements on the shoreline, apart from assisting the police in their jobs was making the Kuramo beach the only beach in West Africa that is open 24 hours a day.

He suggested that such haphazard ejection of people by the State without bothering about what happens to those affected people by such a policy is responsible for the increase in crime in the society.

"I know many guys here that, it is through my bringing them together and re-orientating them that had transformed them a little. Now that they have been scattered, they'll return to the streets and you can guess that is how the State breeds criminals by itself",  Abbey suggested.

"I have helped most of them discover their talents and some of them are upcoming music stars but their dreams have now been shattered by the personal interest of the state administrators who only want to please the few rich people. I tell you, some of them may become worse than Boko Haram", he declared, frowning.

He lamented that some of the young men, whose names he gave as Olorunwa Babatunde, Joseph Oke and Benson, died while trying to rescue some of the children who were being swept away by the ocean surge.

Another evictee from Kuramo Beach declined to talk, maintaining a bold face while smoking sticks of weeds one after the other, staring absent-mindedly into the sky.  Suddenly, he stood up, shook his head and walked away.

Activities however continue at the Bar beach with the regular Aladura people visiting to pray and others relaxing and having fun.

The Chief Security Officer of the Kuramo Beach activities arena alleged that the Eko Atlantic Project was hugely responsible for the fatality of the recent surge.

"The surge is a familiar thing to us here every year. It is nothing new to us because we know about this time every year the water level rises, but this particular one that killed people was too high and everybody knows it is as a result of the Eko Atlantic project", he alleged.

UN General Assembly opens 67th session, seeks peaceful solutions to global disputes



Opeyemi Adesina

The UN General Assembly on Tuesday opened its 67th session with an urgent call for cooperation to tackle the economic and political uncertainty being experienced in many parts of the world.

The UN session also urged member states to ensure peaceful solutions of international disputes.

“Peace and security is a prerequisite for the stability needed for global economic growth, sustainable development and social progress,” the new President of the 193-member body, Vuk Jeremic, said..

Jeremic outlined the main areas of focus for the year’s session with the overarching theme being the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

“I hope this framework will usefully serve the noble cause of preventing conflicts and resolving existing ones. Peace and security are essential to advance development,’’ the president said.

He said the Assembly should focus not just on achieving the eight anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but also on the post-2015 agenda.

Jeremic, however, underscored the importance of fulfilling the commitments made during the UN Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20), held in Brazil in June.

“Our objective should be the full implementation of the mandate this body received at the Rio+20 Conference.

“This will require a decisive commitment to observe not only procedural deadlines but also the political and financial objectives it has been designed to accomplish,’’ he added.

He stressed the importance of making progress on arms control and disarmament, strengthening UN peacekeeping, improving a global coordinated response to terrorism, and promoting human rights in the international arena during the next 12 months.

Jeremic said the rule of law would remain one of the main priorities on the assembly’s agenda.

“Close to 800 years after the Magna Carta was promulgated, many people around the world still do not enjoy the fundamental rights enshrined in that seminal document,’’ he stressed.

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, congratulated Jeremic on his new role and thanked the former President of the Assembly, Nassir Al-Nasser, for his leadership over the past year.

He called on member states to deepen their efforts to work together. “We are living through a period of unease. We are also seeing incidents of intolerance and hatred that are then exploited by others.

“Voices of moderation and calm need to make themselves heard at this time. We all need to speak up in favour of mutual respect and understanding of the values and beliefs of others. The UN must rise to the moment,” the UN scribe said.

Doctors doubt ailing Patience Jonathan trip to UN General Assembly



It is regretable to say that a team of doctors attending Nigeria’s ailing First Lady, Patience Jonathan, have ruled out the possibility of her joining President Goodluck Jonathan when he travels next week to New York City. Mr. Jonathan is on his way to New York to attend this year’s session of the United Nations General Assembly.

A presidency source told our correspondent that the president and his wife had hoped to be in New York together in order to quell speculations that Mrs. Jonathan’s health condition had turned dire. However, the source revealed that the president’s wife went through two relapse episodes during the week and had to be put under intensive care. “The doctors in Germany have informed us that she cannot – and should not – go on a long trip at this time,” said the source.

A reliable source who don't want her name to be mentioned also indicated that Mrs. Jonathan was unlikely to return to Nigeria this weekend as the Presidency had hoped.

She disclosed that it was now unclear how long Mrs. Jonathan would remain in a hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany. “The plan was to take her on the trip to the United Nations in order to silence critics and reporters that revealed that Madam was not on vacation but in a precarious medical state,” said one of the sources.

Journalist had broken the news three weeks ago that Mrs. Jonathan was airlifted to Germany after she reportedly had “food poisoning” in Dubai. In response to our exclusive, aides of both Mrs. Jonathan and the president denied that the First Lady was sick and claimed that she merely traveled abroad “for a moment’s rest” at an undisclosed location. The aides added that Mrs. Jonathan was fatigued from a strenuous calendar that included hosting a meeting of African First Ladies in Abuja.

In the face of official concerted efforts to cover up Mrs. Jonathan’s condition, it was learnt from sources within the Presidency that the ailing First Lady had undergone surgery in Germany after she was initially treated for infections arising from a procedure she undertook in Dubai.

So far, the Nigerian Presidency has not made any official pronouncement on Mrs. Jonathan’s condition. President Jonathan, who last week cut short a state visit to Botswana, has maintained stoic silence since the story broke.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jonathan will be accompanied on his New York by 11 ministers as well as the governors of Bauchi, Delta and Akwa Ibom. Mr. Jonathan and his delegation are expected to arrive in New York on Monday.

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Kalu delivers Prof. Ijalaye's 25th anniversary lecture



Embattled former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, will be the guest speaker at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, on September 20 at the 6th Emeritus Professor D.A. Ijalaye and Equity Chambers 25th anniversary.

The event will start at 11am at the Ogunbanjo Hall.
Kalu will be speaking on the topic: Leadership: A key factor to a better Nigeria.

In addition to being an ex-governor, Kalu was a member of the House of Representatives, Board Member of First Bank, former Chairman of Imo State Marketing Board, former Chairman of  Borno Water Board, former Chairman of Cooperative and Commerce Bank, former Council Member of the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi and Publisher of the Sun Newspapers.

Since leaving office as governor of Abia State, he has been busy with the Orji Kalu Lecture Series, a forum where he articulates his views on democracy and governance in Africa.

Monday 17 September 2012

NAFDAC seizes expired, counterfeit drugs in Gombe


***NAFDAC says a new technology is helping the agency fish out fake drugs.

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on Monday confiscated many expired, counterfeit, and banned drugs in some patent medicine stores in Gombe State.

The agency seized the drugs during raids on some shops by different enforcement teams in Gombe, Kaltungo, Billiri and Kumo town.

The Deputy Director, Ports Inspection of NAFDAC, Comfort Makanjuola, told newsmen that the raids were aimed at ensuring compliance with the law prohibiting the sale of unwholesome products.

She said NAFDAC has acquired a cutting edge technology, called truscan technology, for a quick and on-the-spot assessment of counterfeit and fake drugs.

“The truscan is a potable hand held device to curb activities of the merchants of death, who in their greed and quest to get rich, compromise the health of people that are already ill.

“This is in the agency’s relentless efforts to curb the distribution of fake, counterfeit, adulterated and unwholesome drugs and safeguard the health of the nation. So, with the help of this device, various drugs have been mopped up from circulation,” Mrs. Makanjuola said.

She said that the machine has helped in the arrest of importers and manufacturers of unwholesome drugs.
Mrs. Makanjuola said the agency, through research, found that drugs commonly faked are fast moving products, especially anti-malarial, antibiotics, anti-diabetes and anti-hypertension drugs.

“What we are saying is that we want to establish a situation where when we enter any pharmaceutical outlet or any patent medicine store, all the drugs there will be of good quality,’’ she said.

The NAFDAC official said the measure is to ensure that “people can have value for their money and people will not use their money to buy things that will now injure them or even kill them”.

She urged the patent medicine dealers to always check their drugs and stop selling expired and banned drugs.

Revelation: “God told me Nigeria will split into three in two years” – Rev. Anthony Chidi



Rev. Anthony Innocent Chidi, the founder and General Overseer of Kings in Christ International Ministries, Lagos, says he foresees a separation of Nigeria into three parts by 2015.

Chidi said this in an interview over the weekend where he spoke about religion, insecurity, governance, politics, and his vision for the country.

According to him: “President Goodluck Jonathan needs prophets who can tell him how to handle certain situations. But you and I know very well that the people around him are not helping matters, they are even the people creating the problems.

“He needs men of God, prophets that can tell him the mind of God. A situation like this only needs God’s intervention.”

Rev. Chidi said the president needs to court prophets who can help the country intervene on behalf of the country.

When asked to recommend prophets for the intervention, the self-professed major prophet says he will disclose names when he is invited to render the service.

He said, “When I am invited, that would be the right time to disclose the names of these prophets that will seek the face of God.”

The clergyman expressed his support for the creation of additional states in the South east of the country saying, “The National Assembly should, as a matter of urgency, create at least one more state in the South-East to balance the equation and remove the cheating and injustice going on. No nation makes progress on the basis of cheating.”

On the unity of the country, the General Overseer of the Kings in Christ International Ministries painted a gloomy picture saying, “I see Nigeria splitting into three countries, the way things are going, unless this trend is arrested or God intervenes, within the space of two, three years Nigeria will split.

“God has showed me, and if we don’t come together to seek His face, this country will split,” he concluded.

The said dialogue between the Federal Government and Boko Haram apparent does not sit well with the self-proclaimed man of God, he said, “How can we have dialogue with the devil? Have you seen someone eating with the devil?  It’s like trying to make peace with the devil; therefore, I don’t see such dialogue bearing any fruit.

“If they are dialoguing already, that is a wrong advice and a wrong move; it automatically means that the so-called Boko Haram is greater than the Federal Government and sooner or later they would begin to give directives to the Federal Government like they did when they asked Jonathan to convert to Islam. It’s like dancing to the tune of blackmailers.”

Well, you heard the clergyman, a word is enough for the wise.



Top Boko Haram commanders and spokesman "Abu Qaqa" arrested in Kano


Security operatives carried out a successful raid against the sect’s leaders in Kano.

In what appeared to be a significant victory by Nigerian security operatives against the Boko Haram militant group, top commanders of the sect were arrested on Sunday.

Sources in the State Security Service, SSS, say Abu Qaqa, the sect’s spokesman and other top commanders were arrested when the Kano State Joint Task Force, JTF, carried out a sweeping raid on the sect’s hide-outs in Kano.

The Kano JTF has confirmed the raid and the arrests but could not confirm the identity of the arrested Boko-Haram leaders.

However, independent sources have told PREMIUM TIMES that the sect’s spokesman, Abu Qaqa was one of those arrested.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the non-disclosure of the details of the arrested officers was because the arrested members were refusing to co-operate with security operatives.

The Federal Government is also being careful about disclosing the names of the arrested officials apparently for fear of embarrassment, the type it suffered earlier in the year when the government disclosed that Abu Qaqa, the sect’s spokesman had been arrested, and it turned out to be false.

Spokesperson for the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, refused to comment on the arrests.




Friday 14 September 2012

Why they killed the US envoy to Libya


The fact that the attack was not a state sponsored is an indisputable point about the Tuesday gruesome murder of the US envoy to Libya.The Libyan government has condemned the attack in a strong term and also call for a proper investigation to ascertain the group behind the unrest that led to the killing of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and four others.  Amb. Stevens would be the first American Envoy to die in the line of duty since 1979.  It seems the killer of the American Envoy to Libya may have another purpose beyond protesting the movie about Islam. The story below by Bradly Hope and Alice Fordham explains one of the likely angles.

CAIRO and BENGHAZI, LIBYA // There was growing evidence last night that the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi that killed the American ambassador to Libya was a planned terrorist operation rather than a protest against an offensive anti-Muslim movie.

The attack late on Tuesday followed a call by Al Qaeda to avenge the death of a senior Libyan member of the terrorist network killed by an American drone strike in Pakistan in June.

The ambassador, J Christopher Stevens, 52, died in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the consulate, along with three embassy staff and several Libyan security guards.

The attack was initially assumed to be part a growing regional backlash against a US-made film that defames the Prophet Mohammed. It followed the burning of American flags in protests at the US embassies in Cairo and Tunis.

Sean Smith, an information management officer, also died in the attack, and 14 Americans and 18 Libyans were injured.

The ambassador was visiting Benghazi to inaugurate an American culture centre in the city. He was the first US ambassador to be killed in the line of duty since 1979.

Several photographs were circulated in Libya yesterday showing Stevens's lifeless, half-dressed body being carried amid a crowd of people. The images show his skin covered in soot, his lips purple and his face grey.

Libyans took the ambassador to a hospital, where doctors concluded he had died of asphyxiation due to smoke inhalation. A doctor who treated him said the ambassador was practically dead when he arrived close to 1am yesterday. "We tried to revive him for an hour and a half but with no success," Dr Abu Zeid said.

Stevens had bleeding in his stomach because of the asphyxiation but no other injuries, the doctor said.

Many of the attackers were from Ansar Al Sharia, an extremist group that has chapters across the region, according to Osama Faitory, a Libyan journalist who witnessed the attack.

The protests were reminiscent of those triggered in 2005 by the publication of 12 caricatures of the Prophet in a Danish newspaper. More than 100 people were killed in riots and attacks on Danish embassies in Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon and Iran in the months afterward.

Benghazi, once the cradle of a Nato-backed revolt against Muammar Qaddafi, has become a hotbed of tribal and Islamist militia activity.

On Monday, Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al Zawahiri called on Muslims, especially Libyans, to avenge the killing of Hassan Mohammed Qaed, better known as Abu Yahya Al Libi, a Libyan-born imam who was a key aide to Osama bin Laden.

The US president, Barack Obama, condemned the killings and ordered security to be increased at US embassies around the world.

He praised the Libyan government and Libyan forces who fought back trying to protect American diplomats, who "exemplified America's commitment to freedom, justice and partnership with nations and people around the globe".

The UAE Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, and called for a quick and transparent investigation to bring those responsible to justice.

In Benghazi last night, Ibrahim Shebani, 30, joined about 200 hundred other demonstrators to condemn the attack.

"We want to show the world that what happened yesterday was not Libya. These are not Libyans," he said. "The security is not good. If the city is safe at all it is because of the people. Everyone I know is condemning what happened yesterday."

More than 2,000 protesters also converged on the US embassy in Cairo on Tuesday night, where the American flag was torn down, burnt and replaced with a black flag bearing religious verses. Several protesters scaled the wall surrounding the embassy, but did not venture further inside.

During renewed protests yesterday afternoon, a group of several dozen men demanded that the president, Mohammed Morsi, and other senior Egyptian officials condemn the blasphemous movie

Credit:  the National.ae